When The World Falls Apart
by CaliforniaRockin'101
Summary: Just when Jackson recovers, sickness hits the group again. MelJackson DaleyNathan
1. A Snag

Flight 29 Down – When the World Falls Apart

Chapter 1 – A Snag

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Note –

This takes place right after Regrets.

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Melissa walked back to camp with Daley, trying to wipe her tears away. She walked into the tent.

"How're you feeling?" she asked Jackson cautiously.

"Better than before." He said.

"Good." Melissa said. He rolled over so he was facing her.

"Thanks for being so brave." He said.

"What?" Melissa said.

"Taylor left because she didn't want to catch whatever I have. You didn't care. Shows what kind of a friend you are. That's a really good one." He smiled for the first time that day.

Melissa smiled back. "Do you want any water or food?"

"Just a little water." He said, and closed his eyes again.

Melissa went to get some water for him.

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Taylor was boiling the water. "Gosh, why do I have to do this? Oh yeah, cause Melissa is in some kind of trauma about Jackson." She grumbled. She heard someone coming as she put the rag on top of the can to filter the water. She looked up and saw Melissa and Daley.

She figured they were talking about Jackson, because she heard "much better" and Melissa was kind of smiling.

Melissa picked up one of the three water bottles that Taylor had boiled. "You might want to go a little faster." Melissa said, not trying to be mean.

"Well, at least I'm doing some work, unlike YOU!" Taylor retorted.

"This is for Jackson! At least I'll go in the tent!" Melissa yelled.

"HEY!" Daley yelled. "Really! What is your deal?" Melissa simply glared at Taylor and walked away. When Taylor didn't respond, Daley rolled her eyes and followed after Melissa.

Taylor pulled her hand away from the water can and heard a ripping noise. Her eyes widened and she looked down. "Oh no."

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Melissa handed Jackson the water bottle. He sat up and closed his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Melissa said frantically.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy." He popped the top of the water bottle open and took a sip, then laid back down.

"Well, we'll let you sleep now." Daley said, and she and Melissa left the tent.

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"I'm going to get so much grief for this." Taylor said. Her fingernail had snagged on the rag they filtered with. Now there was a hole in it. It was right in the middle too. With her luck, they probably didn't have any other rags. That meant no filtered water. Which meant they could either dehydrate or be in Jackson's state.

"What are you going to get so much grief for?" Nathan asked. He was standing behind her with Daley.

"Uh, nothing." Taylor tried to hide the rag, but too late.

"Taylor! Did you rip the rag?" Daley cried.

"Uh…"

"You did, didn't you?" Nathan said.

"We have more, right?" Taylor said fearfully.

"Yeah, one that we wash dishes with." Daley said.

"This is bad, isn't it?" Taylor said.

"Naw!" Nathan said.

"Is that can already boiled?" Daley asked.

"Yeah." Taylor said. Daley poured it into a water bottle that was half full. Just when Taylor remembered it wasn't boiled. She didn't say anything though. Maybe she could dump it out later. But no, they only had three left, not including the one Melissa took to Jackson. Somebody would notice it was gone.

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Daley and Nathan left to go look for something else to use. Before Taylor could think of a way to get rid of the bottle, Melissa walked over, picked it up, and took a sip from it, and left.

Taylor ran to get the first aid manual. Maybe it would have a way to prevent someone from getting sick.

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A/N: Not much of a cliffhanger, but you can still wonder what's going to happen. (rubs hands together evilly.)


	2. Taylor's Screw Up

Flight 29 Down – When the World Falls Apart

Chapter 2 – Taylor's Screw Up

A/N: 5 reviews already! You guys are so awesome!

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The next morning, Jackson was walking around. Everyone was relieved to have him back to his usual self.

He and Melissa were looking for firewood, now that Eric's contraption was working.

"Um, on Chilloween, when we were eating, you ran away. I just wondered…why." Jackson stammered.

"I…saw the way…you and Taylor…were looking at each other…and…" She replied.

"Oh." He said quietly.

"I just…I know it's none of my business but…it hurt." She said.

"Mel, I-"

She dropped her firewood and clutched her stomach. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

"Mel? Are you okay?" He asked and dropped his firewood as well.

"No…" She leaned against a tree. "My stomach hurts…a lot…" she winced.

"Do you think you can walk back to camp?" Jackson said. He realized they were pretty far out. He didn't know if Melissa could hold on long enough for him to go back and get everyone.

Melissa tried to stand up. She shook her head.

Jackson was a guy that never panicked. He had remained cool when they were crashing, when Eric was dying from the oysters, even when he was sick. But now…he wasn't so sure.

"Um…here, I'll carry you." He grunted as he hoisted her up, and walked to camp as fast as he could.

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About halfway back, they met up with Nathan. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I think she has what I had." Jackson said.

"I'll go tell the others." Nathan dashed away.

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"Did you drink any non-filtered water?" Jackson asked Melissa. She was lying on her sleeping bag. He and Nathan were in the tent with her.

"No." She groaned.

"Are you positive?" Nathan asked.

"Yes. I've only been drinking from the water bottles." She said.

"Taylor…" Nathan said. Then, "TAYLOR!"

She came running. "What?"

"That water Daley put into the water bottle yesterday; it wasn't boiled, was it?" He asked.

"No." She said quietly.

"Nice going!" He yelled. Daley then entered the tent.

"Um, we have a problem." She said.

"What now?" Jackson said.

"I can't find those pills to make her better." She said.

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A/N: Haha! There's a cliffhanger! Sorry it's so short.


	3. The Guilt Factor

Flight 29 Down – When the World Falls Apart

Chapter 3 – The Guilt Factor

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Jackson gulped. This was so not good.

"Where'd you put them last?" Nathan's face was pale.

"I don't know, I thought I left them with Jackson." Daley was on the verge of tears.

"I thought I put them back in the first aid bag." Jackson said.

"I looked and they weren't in there." Daley said.

"Hold up. Jackson was sick all day and he's fine. We can look for the medicine later. Right now, we should get rid of the contaminated water." Nathan said, his voice shaky.

"You're right. She'll be okay. Um, Jackson you stay here." Daley stammered.

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"I can't believe you, Taylor!" Nathan yelled once they were far away enough from the tent for Melissa not to hear him. Taylor seemed to shrink.

"You knew what could happen, why did you lie?" Daley said.

"I didn't want you to think I screwed up so much. Okay? I'm not perfect, and I make a lot of mistakes, and I'm sorry!" Taylor replied, yelling too.

"Well, your mistake might cause my best friend her LIFE!" Nathan yelled and stormed up to the water bottles. "Which one has the unboiled water?" He asked.

Taylor looked at them.

"Taylor?" Daley said.

"I don't know. I'm really sorry." Taylor said.

"Great. Now, since we don't have anything to filter with, we have NO water, because we don't know which one has the bad water." Daley said.

"We could use something else for a filter, like a shirt." Nathan suggested. He and Daley looked at Taylor.

"No! You can't use one of MY shirts!" She said.

"This is your fault." Daley said.

"Well, YOU lost the medicine!" Taylor pointed at her.

"Well we wouldn't need it if not for YOU!" Nathan said.

"Why is everyone always against me?" Taylor yelled.

"Maybe you just shouldn't have come on this trip!" Nathan yelled and stormed away in the direction of the beach.

"Well maybe I didn't even WANT to come!" Taylor screamed at his back.

Daley shook her head at Taylor and ran after Nathan.

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Jackson sat down across the tent from where Melissa was lying.

"Jackson…I'm scared." Melissa whispered.

"Don't…don't worry. It'll be okay." He said.

"You don't sound so sure."

"You know how nobody really knows about my past?" he said.

"Yeah." Melissa said.

"Well, my mom died when I was five. My dad died when I was thirteen." He said.

"I'm so sorry." She replied quietly.

"I can't lose anyone else. There's nobody left. Except…you." He admitted.

"What about Taylor?" Melissa said.

"I don't like Taylor. I'm just not being as mean to her as Daley." Jackson said.

Melissa darted up and exited the tent.

"Great timing!" He said sarcastically.

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Daley found Nathan on the beach.

"Nathan-"

"Go away." He interrupted.

"I-"

"I thought I was headstrong and argumentative and all that stuff." He said.

"I lied about everything I said." Daley blurted.

"Why would you lie?" He said.

"Because it would be weird to be a couple here." She said.

"Oh. So, even though you do like me, you still don't want to be a couple?" He said disappointedly.

"No." Nathan looked up, surprised. "Everyone else will just have to deal." She said.

They smiled. Nathan ducked his head and looked back at the ocean. "I hope Melissa's going to be okay." He said.

"She will. We just have to find the-"

Lex ran up to them. "We need to find that medicine." He said.

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A/N: Sorry if the chapters are really short, I just don't want the story to be too short.


	4. Even When the World Falls Apart

Flight 29 Down – When the World Falls Apart

Chapter 4 – Even When The World Falls Apart

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Meanwhile….

The tent was quiet. Eric and Taylor were keeping the fire going, Lex was working on something or other, and Nathan and Daley had disappeared.

"You're a pretty good guitar player." Melissa said.

"Oh, you liked it. Uh, yeah." Jackson said, embarrassed.

"Did you write the song?" She asked.

"Yeah. I can go get the guitar and sing it again if you want." He offered.

"Sure." Melissa said.

Jackson got up and went to get the guitar from the plane. When he got back, Melissa was wriggling around. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Stomach hurts again…won't go away…" She said.

Jackson rushed back outside. The first person he saw was Lex. "Lex, go find Nathan and Daley. We have to find that medicine." He said.

"Why?" Lex replied.

"Just find them!" Jackson said. Lex ran off and Jackson went to get Taylor and Eric to help.

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"Why?" Daley and Nathan said in unison.

"I don't know, but Jackson seemed really frantic." Lex said.

All three took off down the beach.

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Jackson, Eric, and Taylor were turning the camp upside down looking for the little plastic bottle. When Daley, Lex, and Nathan arrived, Taylor was searching through the WWII box, Jackson was looking under chairs and around on the ground, and Eric was checking the first aid bag again.

A couple minutes later, Jackson held the bottle up triumphantly. "Found it!" He said.

He and Daley rushed into the tent.

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Nathan sat in a chair, tapping his fingers on his knee impatiently.

Daley and Jackson came out of the tent. "Is she okay?" Nathan jumped up.

They looked at each other. "She's…not in pain anymore." Daley said.

Nathan ran into the tent.

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"No!" He screamed. His eyes flew open. "Just a dream, just a dream…" He murmured.

"Are you okay?" He heard Daley's voice.

"Just a dream…" He said. Then it hit him. "How's Melissa?" He said.

"A lot better." Daley said.

Nathan closed his eyes and let out a breath of relief. He got up from his chair and started to walk into the tent.

Jackson was playing that guitar that had come out of nowhere. It was the Chilloween song.

Nathan smiled and left quietly.

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They decided to eat dinner on the beach. The sunset seemed especially pretty today.

Taylor held up the filtering can. A pink piece of cloth covered the top.

"I took one of my shirts and cut a couple squares." She removed the rubber band and held up the cloth. "Sewed the pieces together, and made an even better filter." She looked at Daley.

"I have to admit, that was pretty smart." Daley said.

Taylor smiled with satisfaction.

"Hey, where's Jackson?" Lex said.

"Probably with Melissa." Nathan said.

"Well, you're right about that." Everyone turned. Jackson and Melissa were standing behind the group.

"Melissa!" Everyone cried.

She plopped down next to Nathan. "Let's eat, I'm starving!" She smiled.

Jackson sat next to her. They smiled at each other. Nathan noticed.

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Nathan Video Diary –

"Today was a change. I have a feeling that nothing will be the same after today. Not in a bad way. A good way."

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Melissa grinned at Jackson. He had pulled the guitar out again.

"Do you know any real songs?" Taylor asked.

"What are you trying to say?" He said.

"Like, songs by singers." She said.

"Mm, a couple." He strummed a couple chords. "Nathan, give me a song."

"Uh…"

"Mandy." Daley said.

"Okay." Jackson said. "_Mandy always laughs when I act stupid, I am unaware that I'm a nuisance._ That one?"

"Yeah!" Daley said.

They somehow got to all singing Year 3000. Even Eric was smiling.

Melissa noticed Nathan and Daley sitting close. She saw their hands entwined.

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Melissa Video Diary –

"Looks like Daley made the right choice. I think Taylor picked the wrong day for Chilloween. This day was close to perfect. Except for, well, me almost dying."

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Daley Video Diary –

"It may seem silly, but disaster brings people closer together. If we hadn't crashed, we probably wouldn't have as many friends as we do now."

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Eric Video Diary –

"I know I'm not exactly the most durable person, but I kind of like being here. I guess you could say this is the life."

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Jackson Video Diary –

"We can count on each other here. Even when the world falls apart."

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THE END

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A/N: So there's the explanation for the title. I know it was a really short story, but I came up with the idea when I was zoning out of the boringest video on Lewis and Clark in Social Studies. The funny thing is, I came up with the whole Taylor rips the cloth and Melissa gets sick thing before I saw Regrets. Freakish.


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